


Not The Last Time

by CSM



Series: Adventures in Time Travel [7]
Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: F/M, Family, Time Travel, post 804
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-14
Updated: 2019-12-14
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:54:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21795182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSM/pseuds/CSM
Summary: Post 804. Mia desperately wants to see her mother and there is no stopping her, so Oliver and William accompany her to Bloomfield to see a surprised Felicity and baby Mia.No association with my other season 8 fic
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Series: Adventures in Time Travel [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1318304
Comments: 97
Kudos: 432





	Not The Last Time

**Author's Note:**

> I really miss Felicity Smoak, and I can only imagine how much Mia does as well. So I wrote this little thing.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> I may write a continuation scene with the Smoak Queen family having dinner. I'm not sure yet

Oliver wakes to the sound of light footsteps against the hardwood floor. His eyes fly open, his arm automatically reaching out for Felicity, when he remembers he is no longer in the cabin. He rubs the sleep from his eyes and sits up just in time to see Mia slip into one of Felicity’s old jackets.

“Where are you going?” He calls out trying to curb his accusatory tone.

Mia, for her part, doesn’t startle at his presence, instead she spins around to face him, her face filled with that marked determination he’s learned to associate her with.

“Some air, I couldn’t sleep,” she replies slightly aloof and Oliver is immediately on alert.

“It’s 2 in the morning, Mia.” Oliver says with a yawn, when all she does is roll her eyes, he tries a different tactic. “If you want to talk about it...”

Mia only huffs in exasperation, but then she sighs in defeat and turns to face him, “I was going to see Mom.”

That confession startles Oliver, so much so he’s on his feet already.

“Bloomfield is five hours away, Mia,” He replies unnecessarily. “How were you planning on getting there?”

“I would’ve figured it out,” Mia grumbles. Despite her tone though she makes her way hesitantly towards Oliver, and Oliver holds his breath almost as though he’s afraid that if he breathes too deeply he may scare her. 

“Mia, your brother said…”

“I don’t care what he said. He’s an idiot,” Mia grumbles petulantly. 

Her tone only makes Oliver smile, he can only imagine teenage Mia being upset with her brother and coming to him angry that William won’t let her do what she wants to do. It reminds Oliver of his relationship with Thea and it hurts knowing that his kids never had each other growing up.

However, it is comforting that despite the short time of knowing each other, his kids do care deeply for each other.

“Mia…”

“Alright, fine. He’s not an idiot. But he clearly doesn’t have his PhD in _time travel_ ,” Mia all but whines. She takes a seat on the kitchen counter and looks at him stubbornly. “I’m going to see Mom. I _need_ to see her.”

Yea he figured that much, he might’ve only known her for a few short days but he can spot that Smoak stubborn streak anywhere.

Oliver sighs but gets to his feet, his heart hammers in his chest at the prospect of seeing Felicity and baby Mia again. “Alright, let’s wake your brother.”

“Wait, just like that?” Mia asks confused, she unfolds her legs from under herself and jumps off the counter to face him. Her blonde hair falls in front of her face for a brief second and all Oliver sees is _Felicity_.

“You’re not gonna tell me why this is a bad idea?”

Oliver smirks, “I’m pretty sure your brother will remind us the entire trip there. The way I see it, you’re gonna go regardless of what I tell you, right?”

Mia doesn’t even looks chastised at being caught instead she shrugs her shoulders nonchalant, “yes.”

“Exactly, so it’s better that I keep you company, than let you go off on your own.” Oliver reasons, he braces himself for her to argue that she does not need protection, but Mia only gives him a calculated look, almost as though she’s seeing him for the first time.

He wants to prod her for more, but despite her expression she goes to one of the stools to grab her bag, “we’re wasting time.”

Oliver sighs, but nods in agreement and goes off to find William with a heavy heart. The moment lost.

He wishes there was someway he could get through to his daughter.

* * *

“Can I just say…”

“Yes, William we know this is a bad idea,” Mia snaps back at her brother as they slowly make their way on foot through the open field behind the cabin. Mia making her way around various trees and landmarks with practiced ease. “And can _I_ just say that it’s stupid. Everyone knows about us, about Zoe and JJ. Why shouldn’t mom?”

“Mia, we don’t know if something would happen if you came in contact with your baby self.” William counters reasonable.

And for the first time coming on this impromptu road trip with his kids, Oliver is contemplating putting an end to it.

“ _What?”_ Oliver asks in alarm, he gently grabs Mia by the arm pulling her to a stop. He turns to his son in exasperation, “couldn’t you have _led_ with that?”

“It didn’t occur to me until we got to the cabin,” William protests. He then sighs in exasperation at something over Oliver’s shoulder, “not that it matters because she’s gone already.”

Oliver spins around in alarm and sure enough he sees Mia’s blond hair one last time before she scales her way up a tree with ease, _practice_ and familiar ease.

“She makes my getting kicked out of school look like a walk in the park uh?” William quips in amusement clearly thinking the same thing. 

Oliver groans, “Felicity has this entire place protected, she will know if someone walks past her sensors.”

“I think Mia found a way around that,” William remarks highly amused as the cabin remains in darkness.

Oliver sighs, “we agreed we were not gonna go _inside_.”

“You agreed, but Mia clearly _did_ not.” William points out, “If we just walk up to the front door, won’t she let us in?”

His son has a point, but as anxious as Oliver is to see Felicity, he can’t help but think about William’s warning from earlier. He can also tell that he’s lost his son to logic as well as William makes his way towards the back porch.

There are no alarms, but Oliver knows Felicity prefers that no one knows she knows they are coming. He takes a deep breath and follows William up the small dirt path, hoping Mia, _adult_ Mia does not scare Felicity too much.

“Hey! It recognized me!” William says in delight his hand on the door handle and the small monitor above it beeps and his name scrolls across the screen.

“It would have recognized your sister too, if she weren’t so impatient.” Oliver remarks ushering William into the familiar room. 

The kitchen is littered with numerous baby bottles, take out containers a laptop and tablet. It’s clear that Felicity has been busy and not _just_ with a newborn.

“I think, the only one being surprised here is us,” William says with a laugh as he points to a frozen image of Oliver Mia and William sitting in the other apartment eating Monte Cristos and laughing. 

Oh boy. This is not gonna be a _fun_ conversation Oliver is sure of it.

“Maybe we should have told her from the beginning?” William asks with a sheepish shrug.

Oliver gives William an unimpressed look just as there is a loud clang from the back bedroom followed by a wail. Baby Mia is clearly not pleased.

Oliver has not heard the sound of his baby’s cries in so long. There were some long lonely nights where he _swore_ he heard a baby crying in the distance, and in those weak moments, he _almost_ lost his resolve and called Felicity. If only to her hear her voice, even for a second.

The prospect of seeing her in a few short minutes has Oliver’s heart beating rapidly in his chest, the anticipation rising.

“Do you think Mom killed her?” William whispers dramatically.

“Stop it,” Oliver reprimands a smile tugging at the corner of his lips, pulling him back to the present. He can safely say that out of all the _many_ ways he imagined being reunited with Felicity, and despite his fate, a small part of him still had hope. He _never_ imagined he would be seeing his wife again, with grown up versions of their kids in tow. “I can say she’s not going to be pleased that she woke the baby up, at least. C’mon let’s go save your sister from your mother.”

“We should get popcorn.”

Oliver only shakes his head with a laugh, his eyes still roaming the place he, Felicity and Mia called home for the past 8 months.

* * *

Mia lands with a soft thud into her old bedroom, mindful of the creaking wood panel right below the bedroom window. She breathes a sigh in relief when the motion sensors do not activate. “Haven’t done _that_ in a while.”

She looks around at nursery slightly put off at the lack of familiar furniture. Instead of her four post bed, there is a mahogany crib, complete with twinkling mobile. 

The places feels like home, it _smells_ like home, but it doesn’t look like it and it’s off putting to say the least. Mia hears a soft scuffle come from the crib and her eyes widen in surprise. Logically she knew that by coming to find her mother she face the possibility of seeing, well _herself_. 

She has just been so fixating on seeing her _mom_ again, holding her, just _talking_ to her mother, she didn’t give much thought into seeing a younger, _smaller_ version of herself. 

Till now, at least.

She takes all of two steps towards the crib and a familiar voice stops her in her tracks.

“Step away from the crib and no one will get hurt!” Her mother’s voice is calm but _forceful_. 

Mia knows her mother, she may not have Mia’s fighting capabilities, but her mother is resourceful so Mia immediately spins around to face her mother, her hands up in defense.

“ _Mia_ , thank god. What the hell were you thinking sneaking in here?” Her mother breathes a sigh in relief lowering the large wok in her hand.

“Mom! I was not sneaking in!” Mia replies in defense automatically. She then pauses and looks at Felicity incredulously, “ _Wait._ How do you know who I am?”

Her mother though only rolls her eyes unimpressed with Mia’s question, a look Mia is all too familiar with. “Did the three of you really think you could sneak into the bunker _and_ our old apartment and I wouldn’t know?”

“That’s what I told Dad _and_ William!” Mia insists with a huff. The tension in her shoulders easing just by the sound of her mother’s voice. “I knew it was pointless to keep it from you!”

It’s been _months_ since she’s heard her mother’s voice and she did not realize how much she needed to hear it, till this very moment. 

She missed the sound of her voice.

“Yes, well I will be having words with your father when I see him,” Felicity remarks. She then pauses her forehead wrinkling in thought, “Did you come here on your own?”

Mia can hear the disappointment in her mother’s tone and she knows, despite her comment her mother _clearly_ misses her father, probably as much as Mia misses her _mother._

“Mia, honey what’s wrong?” Mia does not realize she’s crying until she feels a hand on her forearm and she’s staring back at familiar blue eyes.

It’s her _mom_.

“I _really_ missed you, Mom.” Mia says tearfully before she launches herself into Felicity’s arms.

“ _Oh!”_ Her mother gasps in surprise at the sudden hug but she does not hug Mia back.

 _Then_ it hits Mia. This is not _her_ mother, not the woman who raised her, who she grew up with, and Mia has miscalculated _greatly_ , she’s just about to pull back, when Felicity surprises her by wrapping her arms around Mia in a tight hug.

The feel of her mother’s arms around her, the smell of coconuts and strawberries that’s all _Mom_ and for the first time in months, Mia feels at home.

Mia feels something cold against her skin and frowns as she pulls away from her mother, “Do you still have the wok in your hand?”

“Oh! Yea sorry,” Felicity grins sheepishly as she takes a step back, swinging the wok like a baton. “I had to think fast.”

“Careful, you’re gonna knock yourself out,” Mia calls out in amusement, all too familiar with her mother’s less than stellar reflexes. She’s about to take the offended weapon from her, but with one spin the wok goes flying and lands on the floor with a loud clang.

A _loud_ wail erupts in the nursery and Mia looks at her mother with wide eyes.

“Oh shit.” Felicity winces, already making a beeline to the crib. She peers down at the crib and smiles apologetically, “Hey Ms. Square Bear, Mommy is sorry she woke you up. I know, Mommy has been trying to get you to sleep _all_ day, and the moment I do, I’m making a ruckus in your room. That’s not very nice is it? Or smart either.”

Mia can’t help but gasp when Felicity bends over the crib and takes out the baby, _her_ . Mia has naturally seen pictures, videos of herself growing up, but _nothing_ can prepare you for seeing _yourself_ . And her younger self is c _ranky_ from being awake, something Mia can relate to.

“Felicity?” Her dad calls out cautiously, and Mia can see the way her mother’s eyes light up immediately, but what surprises her, is the way her younger self, stops crying, her little head turning to the sound of her dad’s voice. 

She recognizes him, she _remembers_ the sound of his voice, something _Mia_ did not learn until a few days ago.

“Oh,” Her mother gasps, her eyes on the baby. “Oliver?”

Mia’s heart clenches at the way her mother’s voice wavers, almost as though she’s terrified to have hope and Mia wonders how many nights her mother stayed away waiting for this very moment. What’s worse is that her parents are going to have to say goodbye _again_ and it’s entirely _her_ fault, because she insisted on seeing her mother.

“Felicity?” Her dad calls out again, just as he appears at the doorway. “ _Felicity.”_

“Oliver...oh god…” Her mother gasps out in surprise making her way towards him and she crashes into his arms, mindful of the baby in _her_ arms, but breaking out into a sob. “ _Oliver_.”

Mia looks behind her parents to see William hovering by the door watching the reunion, looking as uncomfortable as Mia feels.

“ _Oliver_.” Her mother chokes out, and then her lips are on his.

While William immediately looks away, Mia _can’t_. Mia can’t look away, she can’t stop staring at the way her father cradles her mother’s face in his hands, kissing her like he’s on his last dying breath, and she is gush of fresh air. 

Her father sobs out her mother’s name yet again, and her mother rises on her toes to gently kiss his tears away. Each time her mother’s lips touch his skin, her father whispers her mother’s name like a soft prayer and Mia heart ceases in realization.

They shouldn’t have come back.

She shouldn’t have made her father come back here. They are going to have to say goodbye all over again, and it’s entirely _her_ fault.

Baby Mia seems to have had enough, and starts to cry out in protest, clearly not enjoying squished between their emotional parents. 

Oliver and Felicity pull back after one last lingering kiss, and Oliver takes the baby from Felicity immediately, “Hi baby girl. You got so big! Daddy, missed you so much.”

Mia heart _aches_ at her father’s broken tone. If the last 48 hours taught her anything, it’s that her father clearly cares for her, but part of Mia still couldn’t wrap her mind around it, part of her refused to accept it. Until this moment, the way her father peppers soft kisses all over the baby, her younger self gurgles in delight, in _recognition_ and her mother watches the pair with tears in her eyes and this time Mia has to look away. She can’t look at the reunited family knowing in a few short hours they are going to have to say goodbye all over again. 

She turns to look at her brother and the idiot is now watching the exchange slightly teary. Mia scoffs, and William catches himself, and sends her a glare before he turns his attention back to their parents when he realizes that they are now looking at _him._

“ _William_ ,” Felicity breathes out in shock. She takes a step towards him but gasps in surprise when William takes two short strides and wraps his arms around her. “Look at how handsome you got. I can’t believe it.”

“Wow, Felicity. I know I went through some awkward teenage years, but no need to be so harsh,” William jokes, charming their mother immediately.

Their mother only laughs and then pulls William in for another hug, she pulls back and pats his cheek then looks at Mia with equal awe. She turns Oliver and looks at him expectantly, “Something you needed to tell me, honey?”

Mia watches in fascination as her father’s cheeks redden in embarrassment, “I wanted to tell you, but…”

“William said not too, even though I told both of them that you would figure it out!” Mia chimes in smirking at her brother who is now scowling at her.

William opens his mouth about to reply, no doubt something snarky, but he stops and frowns in confusion, “she’s staring at me.”

Everyone turns to the baby who is currently staring at William with wide green eyes. Oliver grins bouncing the baby who gurgles at the movement. He then holds out the baby to William, “do you want to?”

“Yea no.” William replies almost immediately and Mia snorts at their mother’s affronted expression. 

“Not exactly how I pictured the two of you meeting for the first time,” Felicity says with a frown clearly put out at William’s reaction to Mia.

“Oh Mom, don’t worry the idiot likes me. He just doesn’t like _babies_.” Mia chimes in throwing an arm around her mother’s shoulder casually. She looks at the baby who is now staring back at her with matching green eyes seemingly equally confused about Mia and Mia wrinkles her nose, “This is so weird.”

Her mother jumps at the contact which almost makes Mia pull back but she then squeezes Mia hand, “well hopefully when younger William, well when _you_ meet Mia, he’s a little bit more enthusiastic.”

Mia and William exchange uncertain looks both fully aware that meeting their mother desperately wants, won’t happen for another 20 years.

“Yes. When this is all over, no matter what happens, Mia needs to meet her big brother,” their father suddenly chimes in soberin the mood.

“Oliver,” their mother’s voice catches on his name and Mia’s heartaches, she can see William is not faring any better.

Oliver turns to Felicity, the baby now cradled to his chest, “Find him, make sure they grow up together.”

“Oliver...you...we don’t,” her mother stumbles over her words her eyes filling with tears again..

Her father takes one step towards her mother and wraps her in his arms, baby Mia getting squished between the two once again. He presses a kiss to Felicity’s forehead, “we’ll figure it out. We always do.”

 _Oh_. 

That is news to Mia, but by her mother _and_ brother’s surprised expressions it’s news to all of them. She doesn’t know what her dad has planned, but in this moment Mia vows to do everything in her power to get her father back to her mother.

“We don’t have much time, but how about I make some carbonara?” Oliver asks softly changing the subject his free arm still around her mother and rubbing her shoulders reassuringly.

“Yes! With cheesy garlic bread on the side?” William asks enthusiastically, he still eyes the baby warily which only makes Mia smirk in amusement.

They all turn to Felicity, who currently has an unreadable expression on her face. “Felicity?”

“Mom?” Mia calls out softly with concern. Despite her mother knowing about Mia and William, Mia can tell she’s a bit overwhelmed by all of it, including seeing her father again.

Felicity shakes her head and smiles at them softly, before turning to Oliver, “Think you can throw in your cookies and cream cheesecake?”

Her father laughs and leans down to press a soft kiss to her mother’s lips and this time Mia _does_ look away, “For you? _Anything_.”

He ushers her mother out of the nursery, both talking in soft animated voices to the baby. Mia looks at her brother who seems to be as output as she feels, Mia sighs softly in defeat, “I shouldn’t have brought him back here. We shouldn’t have come back.”

William’s shoulders drop at her words, “That’s what I was afraid of as well.”

“You couldn’t have _told_ me that?” Mia grumbles, “now Dad has to say goodbye to her all over again.”

“You wanted to see Mom, and I think you needed to see her,” William explains calmly, he looks around the nursery, then turns to Mia with a knowing look, “I also think you needed to see Dad and Mom _together_. You never got to see them they way I did, maybe it would help you understand a little bit more why Dad had to leave.”

 _Oh_.

He’s right, because of course he is. She hates that her stupid brother is a genius. Mostly she hates that he’s right.

Growing up, she always assumed her father did not love her or her mother enough to stick around, despite her mother’s insistence that this was _not_ the case.

She sees now how wrong she was.

“Kids?” Oliver calls out from the kitchen.

William throws his arm around Mia’s shoulder surprising her, “C’mon let’s not waste what little time we have with our parents.”

“I’m not going to let Dad die,” Mia confesses with conviction, stopping her brother in his steps.

“Mia, a cosmic _god_ has predicted Dad’s fate.” William says slowly, the warning clear.

“I don’t care. I’m gonna make sure Dad comes back to Mom, to our family.” Mia says determinedly.

“Mia, you can’t rewrite history. You’re gonna get yourself killed, Dad wouldn’t want that.” 

“Maybe the reason he didn’t come back last time was because he didn’t have _me_ ... _us_...we can help him.” Mia insists. She needs her brother on board with this plan, she can’t do it without him. She will if she has to, but she prefers if he’s at her side with this.

“Mia…” 

The waver in his voice is all she needs and she continues with determination and she spins around gesturing to the nursery, “I’m still a baby in this time. We’re still _kids_ , we can change our future. We can change things for the better. The life we knew has already changed, the moment we came to the past. Shouldn’t we use this opportunity to make sure our future is fixed for the better? Don’t you want to grow up together? With Mom and Dad? At the very least they deserve that.”

She can see her brother’s resolve breaking at her words, and she has to fight everything in her to _not_ fist bump in triumphant. 

“Dad is not going to agree to this,” William warns.

“Dad doesn’t need to know. This is the best option for all of us,” Mia says determinedly, her mind set.

“And you’re willing to sacrifice yourself for this? For them?” William asks with a waver in his voice, and the seriousness about what they are about to do hits them both.

“For Mom and Dad? Yes.” Mia says firmly and looks at him expectantly, “Are you?”

There is a beat, and she wonders if logic has won her brother over like it typically does but her brother surprises her when he nods his head in conviction. “For Mom and Dad.”

They are going to save their family.  
  



End file.
